how to avoid icy skidding?

Question

this happened to me once and I just thought of it today. I was driving down a hill (not a very steep one, but a noticeable one) and at the bottom I saw a car slip on some ice and rotate, then right itself a little, but it was going back and forth, and then before I knew it I was on that same patch of ice and my car spun out of control, went really fast and slammed into the other car, which had started to pull over. in part I think my car spun out of control because I tried to shift to the left to avoid the car ahead of me, which was slowed down and pulling to the right.

could this have been avoided? is it better, for example, to brake quickly than to try to go straight through something? should you never try to turn? at that point if I didn't try to turn I would have run into him, unless I guess the other alternative would have been to brake hard and try to come to a stop while on the ice.

I still drive by that spot and am not sure I'd know what to do if it happened again.

Answer 1

On a hill the only thing I do as I have several going out of the subdivision is wait for the car to clear at the bottom and watch them. If they have problems it is just not owrth the risk I go out another road. If you can crawl down the hill at 1 MPH would be the only other option....and then once you start sliding it's every man for themselves.....Or woman.....

Answer 2

If it is an comfort, the thing that most disturbs professional rally-drivers is to find themselves on ice on the wrong tyres, whereas snow is seldom a major problem.

You must assume that ice offers almost no grip whatsoever; especially if it is polished and close to freezing point and therefore likely to be wet.

Very cold ice below about -5C is actually better.

In an emergency situation such as you describe, there is TWO things which MAY have helped.

Personally, the moment I saw the car in front lose control, I would have steered as far as possible to one side of the road, where bits of stone, gravel and bits of wood often collect. This can offer just a small amount of extra-grip, but can make all the difference to being in control or out of control.

The other thing is to remember that ALL skids occur in straight-lines; no matter which way the car is pointing or how fast it is going.

If you kjnow that you are going to skid, it is sometimes best to get the vehicle travelling in the best possible straight-line BEFORE you skid, AND CONTRARY TO WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU, DON'T EVER STEER INTO DISASTER IN A FROZEN STATE OF TERROR. Prior to steering into anything, decide which is the best/safest direction, and THEN steer into it!

If you're doing less than 30mph, the chances are you will not get hurt. If the straight-line takes you over a cliff or into a solid piece of rock, then let the car spin to a halt. Spinning a car around on the handbrake CAN seem melodramatic, but it can be a lifesaver in this sort of situation, because as the car spins, the forward momentum is converted into centrifugal momentum, and speed drops very quickly.

Unfortunately, unless you are a rally-driver driving at speed on a closed road, the problem is always the fact that other people use the roads at the same time, as you discovered. In that situation, if you are caught out, it isn't always possible to find a way of avoiding the accident.

If an accident is going to happen, try and steer towards something soft, like a garden-wall or bushes, which will stop you without destroying you or the car.

Best advice? Learn from the experience and ask other good questions, because even the best have been in this situation

By the way, I lived in Norway for a couple of years, and I've driven tens of thousands of miles on snow and ice.

Finally a free tip for everyone. Forget salt or tyre mats....buy a large bag of garden wood-chips. Once scattered around, you could drive half way up Everest on a good day!

Answer 3

Going down the hill slowly will help you keep control of the car. If your car is rear wheel drive try shifting to a lower gear and use the engine breaking to help slow the car. This will help with the back end coming around on you because it's the back wheels trying to slow you down. When you're driving on ice, try and do everything smoothly, and slowly. Quick moves can cause you to loose control and spin off the road or into traffic. Be safe.

Answer 4

This is copied from my driver's manual:

If your rear wheels start to skid:


Turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.


If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.


If your vehicle has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), keep your foot with even pressure on the brake pedal. If your vehicle does not have ABS, pump the pedal gently, pumping more rapidly only as your car slows down. Braking hard with non-anti-lock brakes will make the skid worse.

If your front wheels skid:

Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral or push in the clutch, but do not try to immediately steer.

As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

To avoid skids on snow and ice, brake early, carefully and gently. "Squeeze" your brakes in slow, steady strokes. Allow the wheels to keep rolling. If they begin to lock up, ease off the brake pedal. As your vehicle slows, you also may want to shift into a lower gear.

Answer 5

Well for starters, don't drive so fast when there's ice on the road. As for the hill, I can only assume you were there for the very first time, for if you knew a hill was coming, and you were aware that there may be ice on the road, you would have crept very slowly to the top so you would be better able to navigate this unknown slippery territory.
That said, to regain control of your vehicle when beginning a spin, you should turn in the direction of the skid. You may not have enough room to complete the procedure, but there you have it.

Answer 6

Well since you were on ice, and watching that person in front of you instead of reacting and slowing down as soon as you seen him/her start losing control. That's where you went wrong. Depending on the vehicle you drive, if you have antilock brakes then apply the brakes steadily, if no antilock brakes pump the brakes, and turn to avoid hitting the other vehicle if you can't stop in time. If you can't avoid hitting the other vehicle turn your vehicle so that the impact is on the side opposite of you to lesson your injuries from impact. Also you can downshift slowly to lower gears to help slow you down. Do not downshift too fast though as it will throw your vehicle into a skid.

Answer 7

Accelerate slowly and brake gently. Try as much as possible to use your gears for braking. Don't do any sharp steering moves, gently is the word for everything. If you begin to slide steer into the slide to correct, but not too much or you can go the opposite way

Answer 8

You should have braked when you first saw the car in the front go spinning. That would have given you ample time to stop before you got there.

Answer 9

take your foot off the gas and steer into the skid, most newer cars and trucks have antilock breaks use them if you have to get stopped, but if you dont need to stop dont use them at all

Answer 10

journey can assist you to learn the signs and indicators of slick surprises, yet there are issues you're able to do to help. For one ingredient, avert polarized glasses, that can hide the shine of something slippery.